Customer Reviews

The Pacific Between

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
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I usually don't read this type of novel and having read the Publisher's Weekly review, I was prepared for a drawn-out melodrama, but I found myself utterly sucked in to The Pacific Between. I could not put this book down!

Raymond Wong's debut novel is not only filled with insight about the nature of love, maturity, and forgiveness, it's told in a thoroughly engaging and honest manner. All the characters were well-developed, believable and interesting. Greg's whiplash journey to uncover his past and ultimately understand his future was touching and vivid. I can't wait to read Raymond's next novel!

There are enough reviews here with the story details so all I can add is to tell you how much I also thoroughly enjoyed this book! I loved all the characters, especially Greg and the personal growth he took throughout the book. Ray's description of the scenery was amazing - you truly really felt like you were there. I've recommended the book to many friends and will continue to do so. I look forward to reading more from this author.

LynnMarie's Review

The Pacific Between is written from Greg Lockland's first person perspective. He's a likeable character, though confused about many aspects of his life. The story takes us on his voyage of self discovery. He travels from the US, across the Pacific, to China, to confront the demons of his past. Even though he is content in a relationship with Kate, he can't stop thinking about his lost love from a life forgotten. Once he arrives in China, he immediately seeks out Lian, the woman that his mind has defined as perfection all these years apart.

When he finds what he's been seeking, he gets a lot more than he bargained for. The Pacific Between entwines a mystery, lost love, unfulfilled expectations and betrayal, as we join Greg on his emotional journey. Greg's character is realistically flawed, humorous and confused about what he wants.

Raymond K. Wong masterfully describes the setting of this book as an artist would paint a picture. You get lost in the larger than life dialogue, and walk with Greg through the streets of China as he looks for something that doesn't even exist.

The Pacific Between is a well written novel with a beautiful, yet somewhat tragic romantic element weaved throughout the pages. Greg learns that sometimes reality isn't as wonderful as our memories. He comes full circle and discovers that happiness wasn't that far away from him at all. Well done!


4 1/2 Tea Cups!

Raymond K. Wong's debut novel was wonderful. Beautiful. It made me laugh, it made me cry. It made me see life in a whole new way. This novel moved me in a way no other novel I have ever read has, and I have read a lot! It took me right along the same journey Greg Lockland travelled. It made me look into my heart, into my soul, just as Greg had, and feel that same inner peace he finally obtains in the end. Through his struggles of facing betrayals of the past, the search for truth in the present and embracing what road lays ahead in the future, Wong's character takes readers along on the journey of the lifetime, through worlds, through cultures, through the mechanics of the human heart. I absolutely loved this book and could not put it down.

In The Pacific Between we are introduced to Greg Lockland who has recently lost both of his parents. He is in his thirties, unmarried and coping with this loss without the support of an extended family. He has come back to California for the funeral and re-connected with Kate, the daughter of his parents' close friends, after ten years of growing steadily apart.

Greg's longtime friendship with Kate seems to be on the verge of becoming something more, but before Greg can truly understand that for himself, he discovers letters and pictures that bring up more questions than answers about his past, his father's relationships, and ultimately, whether the woman Greg really loves is Kate or Lian. Without explaining why he must go, or what he is feeling, to Kate, Greg leaves for Hong Kong to confront Lian with what he thinks he's learned.

The Pacific Between artfully moves between scenes from Greg's past and the present. Greg's search for Lian is also his search for understanding about himself and his relationship with his father. Woven throughout the book are scenes with other friends and acquaintances of Greg's that expose for us the boy he was, the man he has been and the man he is becoming.

The secondary characters are full of life and personality; each scene with them is just as important to the book as the scenes with Kate and Lian. Equally compelling are Raymond Wong's descriptions of Hong Kong that fully envelop one in the sights, sounds, and smells of the island. He truly has a fantastic way with words. I was transported to Hong Kong - it was colored by my memory of Tien Mou, Taiwan, and my more recent trip to Singapore, I'm sure, but I really felt like I was seeing it thru Greg's eyes. I want even more to go to Hong Kong after reading this book.

The Pacific Between is so tightly woven I'm hard pressed to uncover one extraneous bit of dialogue or description. The shift from chapter to chapter is effortless; the ending lives up to the rest of the novel in that it is the honest outcome of the journey Greg has made.

The ups, downs, twists and turns of a two-minute roller coaster ride are nothing compared to the gamut of emotions Wong's characters experience in his compelling novel The Pacific Between.

The opening line "Betrayal makes us do strange things," leads you head on into a boiling pot of love, death, betrayal and deception.

Wong's story reaches into the heart, mind, and soul of readers with a robust Asian voice. His story melds two cultures so eloquently that he has you walking beside his characters and places you in the center of Hong Kong's beautiful culture and picturesque landscape.

There is more to Wong's astonishing novel than a gripping plot. Each chapter opens a part of main character's life and forces him to re-examine his beliefs, feelings, and relationships with old friends and family. The witty dialogue is smooth and believable and portrays the dynamic and fascinating characters, keeping them and the reader in suspense and a whirlwind of emotions.

When entrepreneur Greg Lockland arrives in California to attend his parents' funeral, his world begins to unravel. Letters discovered hidden in his father's safe deposit box suggest an illicit affair between his late father and Greg's ex-lover Lian.

Confused and angry, Greg visits Kate, a young woman with whom his relationship has taken an unexpected, romantic turn. Greg battles with his mixed emotions and takes a transpacific journey to Hong Kong in search of Lian and the truth. Does he still love Lian? Does he love Kate?

The Pacific Between is more than a story of love, death and betrayal. It's a superb tale of deception, relationships, sacrifices and unconditional love. Wong will leave you laughing one minute and crying the next, and in between, awestruck by dead-ends that lead to a satisfying finish. It's unpredictable to the end.

With the first line from the first chapter of The Pacific Between, Raymond K.Wong captured my curiosity: "Betrayal makes us do strange things." At first it was simple curiosity but it was not long before I was so enthralled by what may happen next that I found myself turning page after page, unable to put the book down.
Wong tells the story of an unmarried young man, Greg Lockland, who returns to California to bury his parents. But the sudden death of his parents leaves unanswered questions, especially after he discovers some disturbing letters and pictures in his father's safe deposit box - opening old wounds and filling him with suspicion, anger and jealousy.
Did his father have an affair with his ex-lover?
Greg embarks on a trip to find his ex and thus begins his journey across the Pacific. But Greg's investigation not only brings people from his past back into his life - but also brings more questions, more heartache and more deception.
Every time I thought I figured out what was happening, Wong added a twist or a turn of events, making it impossible for me to put the book down. The story is full of surprises.
If you've never been to Hong Kong - Wong will take you there. His writing brings the city, villages, shores and characters to life - enabling the reader to not only see what he is talking about but hear, smell and feel it as well.
Wittingly written in the first few chapters as parallel stories - his past and his present - it is not long before Wong combines the two, bringing the reader into the present as the main character, Greg, struggles with the puzzle that has been set before him. The Pacific Between is a beautiful and touching debut novel by Raymond K. Wong, which I highly recommend. It is the kind of story that I can imagine being made into a movie some day.

A friend of mine recommended this novel to me, said it was one of the best books she'd read this year. At first, I wasn't sure what to think of it, since I wasn't familiar with the author and it was a debut novel. Soon, I was enthralled and enchanted by the twists and turns, and was surprised by its emotional depth and power.

I thought the protagonist was very interesting, and I was amazed by all the wrong choices he made. I couldn't put this book down, simply to see where he was going. What happened next surprised me. Just when I figured out what was going on, the story took a different, unexpected turn, and turns after turns they led to a satisfying ending. I didn't want to let these characters go, and in the process, have learned a few things myself.

The story is a mix of mystery, suspense, romance and coming of age, and it's done extremely well. The minor characters are wonderful, and the author's descriptions are top-notch, giving me an experience that feels very real. An intimate, personal, and powerful page-turner.

Raymond K. Wong's first novel is a journey between two cultures, as well as within the heart and soul of the protagonist, Greg Lockland.

Some reviews have called this book a "romance novel." Well, I wouldn't call The Pacific Between a genre romance novel. However, it most definitely is a romantic novel. Two very different things, though they might share a common thematic underpinning, that of finding love and happiness.

As for the setting, I found myself transported to a place as unfamiliar to me as any spot on Earth, yet when I reached the end of this compelling story, felt as though I could go to Hong Kong and not feel completely lost.

I've put down a few books unfinished in the last couple of years, but this is one I couldn't put down, especially toward the end, and that to me is the truest way to determine whether or not it's a good read.

The Pacific Between is a fine first novel, and I'm looking forward to Raymond K. Wong's next effort.

1 I couldn't tell who was speaking because the logical POV speaker was punctuated into a different POV speaker. This became frequent in the second half of the book. Often the reader could figure it out but on some occasions it was more than just annoying and time consuming.
2. Much of the narrative seemed like it had been lifted from "Fodors Hong Kong" and restaurant reviews both in HK and US.
3. The description of sites often seemed just dumped into the narrative just to let the reader know the character was there--they didn't seem to have been experienced by the character.
4. I may have missed it, but it seemed that everyone, even in small,remote areas, was fluent in English which is not my experience.
5. The character, Howard says his partner was gay but he wasn't. There was nothing to indicate this was a joke or an explanation why he made such a remark when subsequent text reflected he was a gay man fully integrated into his orientation and his relationship with Victor. This was so glaring that it must be the result of editing, printing or some phenomenon of e-books.
6. Chapters and scenes rarely had a story question.
7. Conflict was repetitive and frankly because it was so hit or miss and bouncing back and fort, it was uninteresting and I couldn't care how it was resolved.
This writer has much to tell it would seem but he perhaps should take a few writing courses i would recommend (re-)reading Jack Bickham as a start.
I only read this book because it promised to be an enjoyable reminisce of HK--it wasn't. When one stays in a cheap, hotel in the outback, it is primitive and loaded with bugs such as 10 inch and larger centipedes also, everyone knows there is no running hot water--you have to turn on the small personal water heater. Even if your a multi-millionaire, HK is a South Seas Island,jungle, humid tropical temperature. I never got the sense, Greg encountered this environment. It is also one of the richest cultures in the world (the richest for me) I never got the sense, Greg encountered that either.
antonio chan